A Winchester Tradition
by NerdAngel
Summary: It's Sam's last Thanksgiving before he leaves and he wants to make it one he ans his brother will remember.


**A/n: Alright everyone, I enjoyed writing the Halloween story so much, that I have decided to write a Thanksgiving one. I will also be writing a Christmas one starting the first Friday of Dec up until Christmas Day.**

 **Thank you to everyone who reads ,reviews, and or favorites.**

 **This takes place pre show. Sam is seventeen, Dean is twenty one.**

A Winchester Tradition

The Winchesters never had a proper Thanksgiving. They never even ate the right kind of bird. It was always a bucket of deep fried extra crispy chicken from the fast food place that Dean loved so much along with a big plastic to go container of mash potatoes, another one with corn and a thing of biscuits, which his brother was always generous enough to leave him two before devouring the rest. That had been Sam's Thanksgiving all his life, until one year when he finally got a chance to see what all the fuss was about. He was thirteen and one of his classmates had invited him over to her house for the holiday. Sam gladly accepted the offer, excited to see what a real traditional Thanksgiving looked like. It had been everything he had hoped it would be. The table was filled with food, and none of it deep fried or fast. A turkey large enough to be a good sized cat sat in the middle with plates filled with stuffing, honey glazed ham, homemade mash potatoes, fresh green beans mixed with various other vegetables, a side of gravy, and candied yams. Assorted desserts stretched from one end of the counter in the kitchen to the next. His brother would be in heaven with the amount of pies they had. They ranged from apple to pumpkin to pecan to chocolate moose to some Sam wasn't even familiar with. The whole family had gathered around in the dinning room where they said grace before going on to eat. Her father seemed interested in getting to know Sam. Asking what his father did for a living and what he wanted to be when he grew up, he even went on to say how his daughter clearly had taken a liking to him. The girl had turned red with embarrassment but didn't dispute it, instead she turned to him with a shy smile. All his life, he would never forget that Thanksgiving.

Now Sam stood with all hope of sharing the magical experience with his big brother shattered yet again as he frowned at the sight of the empty bin and the sign above it that read "Thanksgiving Turkeys $29.99!" He had so hoped to have been able to have one real Thanksgiving before he left. This year was going to be his last one with Dean, he wasn't sure where he would be, but he knew it wasn't going to be in some nasty motel room or on a hunt. Next year, come May, Sam was going to be eighteen and that meant he was a legal adult. He would finally be free of the life he never wanted and would no longer have to worry about being under his father's thumb. Nor would he be Dean's responsibility, his brother would finally be free of the task of having to always watch over him.

Sam sighed, sagging his shoulders in defeat and with a heavy heart, he made his way from the grocery store. One more year of extra crispy artery clogging heart attack inducing food it was. Dean had taken the Impala to run an errand earlier, so Sam had been left to walk to the nearest store. Luckily, the fried chicken place was only a few blocks from the grocery store and a few more from the motel they were staying at. He ordered the usual with a small side of coleslaw and a Dr. Pepper for himself, Dean would no doubt have a beer or two.

The moment Sam entered the motel room, Dean quickly dashed from his spot on the couch to block the little table by the mini fridge from his brother's view. Sam stopped and stared over at him with a quizzical look.

"Sam, there you are! Where were-" he stopped as his eyes fell on the bag of food. He frowned and crossed his arms, a reaction that in turn caused Sam to raise an eyebrow.

"What?"

"I always take care of the food on Thanksgiving," he responded taken aback. "It's a tradition." Sam shrugged and turned down the corner of his mouth.

"I didn't realize it was a tradition. I always thought it was because I was too young and Dad was either too drunk or not home."

"What's in the bag?" The young man asked, the teen looked down at the take out bag.

"Deep fried chicken, extra crispy of course, some corn on the cobs, some mash potatoes and gravy, and enough biscuits to choke a horse."

"Sounds good to me," Dean said rubbing his hands together. "Pop it in the fridge." Sam moved to obey his brother, but stopped once the words sank in.

"Put it in the fridge?"

"Yeah, I don't want it to go bad before I get a chance to eat it tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Dean, Thanksgiving is today."

Dean deadpanned, his green eyes staring up at Sam's puzzled hazel ones.

"I know what today is," he responded. "But I was thinking we try something a bit different this year." The older brother moved away from the table revealing two plates with sandwiches, and a side of potato chips.

"Dean, what is this?"

"It's Thanksgiving. I made us turkey, ham, and cranberry sandwiches with some potato chips." Sam stared dumbfounded at the food in front of him. When he didn't say anything, Dean went on. "I know it's just pre-sliced deli meat and I know it's not some big fancy meal like the one that everyone else has, but it's something."

A smile spread across Sam's face. "What brought this on?" The teen asked.

"You always say how you wish you could have a normal holiday like you did that one time a couple years back." Sam averted his gaze to the ground and shifted his weight on his feet.

"Do I really talk about it that much?"

Dean sensed his brother's embarrassment and waved a hand. "You just mention it."

"Dean I-I'm really grateful, really," Sam stumbled over his words. He placed the food on what little room was left on the table, while his eyes returned to his brother's and held them in a way he tended to when showing Dean he wholeheartedly meant what he was saying. "And I would have been fine with sticking to our own tradition, you didn't have to do this."

"It's alright Sammy, I get it. I miss it too." There was a pause until the words clicked in Sam's brain.

"Wait what?! You miss it? You've had one before?" Now it was Dean's turn to look away. He scratched at the back of his head.

"I did, when I was three." Sam's attention was set. Neither their dad nor his brother ever talked about the days before the fire.

"You remember?"

"I remember it pretty well actually. Mom made the most amazing dinner. Turkey, ham, potatoes, stuffing, seasoned vegetables, yams, the whole nine. I remember sitting-" Dean paused, the ghost of a smile sliding across his face as though he were back at the house again sitting at the table with his parents. Sam didn't push for him to go on, he simply stood watching his brother. "Mom made her homemade apple pie. You should have seen it Sammy, it was golden with just the right amount of dough and just the right amount of filling." A tiny grin inched its way on Sam's lips as he listened. "The crust was nice and crisp like it should be, slightly browned along the edges. You could see some sugar she had sprinkled on top before she had set it in the oven. And the smell," Dean took a deep breath as though he could sense the aroma wafting in the air. "Let me tell you something Sammy, no one and I mean NO ONE could make pie half as good as Mom. We ate until we were stuffed, then Dad carried me to bed, I hugged kissed them goodnight, mom's pregnant belly too, and fell asleep almost instantly." Dean came back to the present to find his little brother smiling sadly at him.

The young adult cleared his throat turning his gaze away. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

Sam obliged his brother with his abrupt subject change. "Yeah, I could eat. I think I'll just leave this bag here, you know, just in case the sandwich isn't enough."

"No arguments here. In fact I think I'll help myself to some biscuits." Sam chuckled as Dean reached over and dug around until he found the little bag full of flakey bread and set it next to his plate. He grabbed one of the Del Sol bottles and popped the lid then another and repeated, handing the second one out to Sam. The teen looked at the bottle then up at his brother in surprise.

"Are you serious?"

Dean shrugged. "You'll be eighteen soon."

"The drinking age is twenty one Dean."

"Yeah, so? I'm not gonna tell, are you?" The teen laughed and accepted the beer. Dean collected his own and held it out in front of him. Sam took his and clanked his bottle neck together with his brother's. They both took a chug.

"Well, shall we then?" Dean looked over at Sam with a grin.

"Well um, are we-are we going to say thanks?" He asked nervously biting his lower lip. He knew his brother's stand point on religion, but if he was willing to change up the food, maybe he was open for that as well.

"Thanks Sammy."

Sam laughed. "Not to me. For the food."

Dean's eyes shot back forth as he puckered his lips. "I just did."

"No I mean, you know, say grace. It's kind of part of the whole-" when Dean continued to stare at him with a blank expression Sam shook his head.

"Never mind." The young adult shrugged and proceed to take a big bite of his sandwich.

As Sam sat eating the food his brother had prepared for him and throwing back the beer his brother had offered him, he realized in that minute that maybe they never had the Thanksgiving his classmates had or anyone else for that matter, but that didn't mean his Thanksgiving wasn't a real or proper one. "Hey Dean." Dean stopped chewing and turned to face his little brother, his cheeks stuffed with food reminding Sam of a chipmunk. He stifled a laugh. "Thanks."

"You never have to thank me Sammy," he responded through his chewing. Of course Sam had to thank him, he had so much to thank him for. The least he could do for his big brother was at least say the words, Dean needed to know.

The younger brother sighed with content as he mulled over his meal.

Suddenly, his eyes began to search the small table as though he were looking for something. Dean noticed the gesture and began to look around as well.

"What's up?"

"We're missing something." Sam responded with a furrowed brow.

"What?"

"Where's the pie?"

 **A/n: Since it's a day of thanks, I would like to take this time to do so.**

 **LilyBolt: There aren't words for how much I'm grateful and thankful for knowing you and having you as a friend. You are a phenomenal writer, I know I say that a lot, but it's true. I'm so happy I met you and what better place then here? I hope we get the chance to hangout together again before my big move. You have the sweetest heart and an amazing personality. Thank you for friendship, support, and everything!**

 **miXiZ: Thank you for being there for me everyday! It really makes me smile to see your name show up on my screen. Thank you for all your support, time, and for sharing your life with me. It's always fun to talk with you about whatever. You are a fantastic writer, remember that. I'm so grateful for having you as a great friend as well as everything he have done for me!**

 **To the Supernatural Family: Thank you all so much for your time, support, and thoughts. I am so grateful for this show and everyone in it as well as this amazing fan base. I love you all, always keep fighting!**

 **Happy Thanksgiving!**


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